They emerged in Shoreditch, spread through Hackney and then popped up in other trendy areas of the country.

Then they slipped into the mainstream, at which point it was only a matter of time before society reached “peak beard”.

But if you’re a man who still wants to make a statement without having to rely on facial hair, another beauty option is rapidly becoming fashionable.

JT spotted quite the set of blonde curls back in the day [Photo: Rex]

According to Vice, the new trend for men is colouring your hair blond. Not carefully, either, but a haphazard dye job which can result in just about any style – if it’s blond, it counts.

Apparently this is for a few reasons. One being Ryan Gosling’s look in ‘The Place Beyond the Pines’, another being fashion’s return to the 90s; think Justin Timberlake and Brad Pitt.

Celebrities who’ve taken it on in recent years include Zayn Malik, Professor Green, Kanye West… once you think about it, a great deal of men currently dominating the headlines.

But will it have as the same longevity as the beard?

WGSN Beauty Editor Emma Grace Bailey told Vice that “2018 is set to be the year this look goes mainstream” but also that “blonde (sic) is just the beginning” and primary colours will be next. So get ready for a 2018 of rainbow-haired men.